Counter-actuator and voter-counter for voting-machines.



C. CHRISTENSEN.

ooUNTEE AETUATOE AND VOTER COUNTER PoE VOTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.12. 1909.

1,074,311. Q Patented sept.3o,1 913.

wuemtoz Homwwy CHRIST CHR-ISTENSEN, OF INDIANAPOLIS. INDIANA. ASSIGNDR.BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO TRIUMPH VOTING MACHINE CC'NPANY. .AvCORPORATION JERSEY.

OF NEW COUNTER-ACTUATOR AND VOTER-COUNTER- FOR VOTING-MACIIINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pa tentcd Sept. 30,1913.

Application filed March 12., 1969. Serial No. 482,97

,Y chines, of Which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to providev a counting mechanism forvoting machines cafao pable of counting the number of voters actuatingthe machine and to provide an actuating mechanism therefor, theconstruction be.

ing such that the reciprocatory movement of an actuating element willproduce complete' rotary movement of the counter actuating element, andthe construction also being such that two independent countingmechanismsv are provided with a single actuating element, With aconnection between said element'and one of the counters which ispractically permanents While the connection between said actuatingelement and the other of said counters is readily separable so that saidlast mentioned counter' may, from time to time, be conveniently reset tozero While the first mentioned counter remains in permanent engagementwith its actuating element so that it can not be readily reset to Zero,

"thereby simultaneously producing tivo comparative registrations each ofwhich will serve as a check upon the other.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. l

Figure 1 is an elevation of the counter structure from its indicatingside., the face plate or casing Within or to 'which the struc ture is tobe secured being omitted; Fig. 2 a section onf/,l/ine/ of Fig. 1; Fig. Sa section on line'B- of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a section on line 1g-f1 of Fig.2. and Fig. 5 a section on line 5*-5 0f Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 1() indicates a boxlihe structure or casing, theinterior of which is preferably open at one side and at the end 10.Mountedwithin casing` 10` preferably Within a frame 11` is asubstantially permanently fixed counter mechanism 12 having aconsiderable number of counter elements 13 visible at one point, in theusual ivell known manner. I prefer, for this purpose, an entirelyinclosed counter requiring a compete relation of an actuating element orshaft to produce an actuation of the counter elements 13.11111 counterwhich I prefer being .substantially that which I-show in in v PatentN11-793,178. I

Journaled in casing 11 and 'passing through the counter 12 so as toengage the internal actuating element of said counter, is a shaft 15which` in that portion which passes through counter 12, as Well as theend of said shaft. is polygonal in cross section so as' to positivelyengage the actuating element of the counter mechanism. Secured to orformed integral with shaft 15 at one end, is a disk or arm 1G providedwith a radial slot 1T adapted to receive a pin 18 carried by areciprocatory actuator 19v passing through a suitable opening 2O iu thecasing 10`r the inner end of said actuator 19 being confined in itsactuatingplane between disk 16 and the adiacent end .vall which closesone end of casing 10.

Sleeved upon shaft 15 adjacent disk 16 is a sleeve '21 which isjournaled in frame 11v andvis. provided at the end adjacent disk 16ivith` a cam 22 comprising oppositely extending arms which coact with apair of stationary cam ribs 23, 23. The cam ribs 23, vare preferablyconnected by a pair of cross heads Qt. 24. which, With the. cam ribs,forni a frame readily inserted in the frame 11. so as to forni. betweenthe cam ribs, a receptacle for the "aching cam 2.2, the end of pin 1Sprojecting into the space between the cam ribs 23. Connected to sleeve21 is one end of a light spring 25, theother'end of which is attached tothe casing 11, in order to yieldiugly hold the cani 2.2 Vin the positionshown in full lines in Fig. 3.

The trame 11 is not coextensive yvith casing 10 but shaft 15 isprojected practically through the entire length of said casing in orderto receive a counter 30 whichis pref-- erahlv of the. same generalcharacter as counter 13. although it need not comprise as man v counterelements, for the reason that its range need not be so great. Tlrecounter 30 preferably should tit thecasing l0 adjacent the open end 10so that Said Casing 1Q will prevent movement of the counter 30 exceptaxially of the shaft 15 and such axial niovement is normally preventedbv any readily withdrawal means, such for instance as-.a collar 31temporarily secured to the end of the shaft 15 by suitablemeans, .suchfor instanceas athumb 4screw or set screw A The operation is as follows:The structure is secured preferably inside of the casing 10 of thevoting machine, said casing having av sight opening, or 'sight openings,through which the indicating portions of the counters4 12 and 30 may bevisible. A rJfeciproca- Kper end of cam 22 to the right, but as soonrotation of the disk and shaft l15 continued as the pin 18 passes beyondthe upper end of cam 22 said camwill be automatically7 re- `trrned tonormal position by-spring 25, so

that whenpin 19 starts upon its'downwardr movementv it will engage cam22 and be ydetlected by it tcr the right, thus 'continuing downwardmovement o`f pin 18 will drive it between the'right hand cam-rib 23 andthe lower end of cam 22 so as to again rock said cam uponl its axisuntilpin 18 passes to its lowest position beyond4 the lower end of cam 22,whereupon said cam returns to` normal position. A complete reoiprocationof pin 18, therefore, Wil. `'cause a complete r0.- t'atiprn of shaft 15t s causing .a counting .actuatibn of both counters 12 and 30. At vtheend of the first use of the machine in an election both counters v12 and80, if both have started at zero, should indicate the same, and if thereis a dierence an inspection would reveal which counter. was in error. For asecond or any subsequent election, collar 31 will be Withdrawn andcounter 30 also withdrawn and reset to Zero, and

'then replaced. Previous to thenext use of the apparatus a readingofcounter 12 would be taken and recorded and thus serve as a check uponthe subsequent operation of the two countersk simultaneously.

1 claim as my invention:

1. 1n a voting machine, the combination, A

ofa pair of associated counters, a common'. actuating element forV 'saidcounters whereby both of said counters will be Simultaneously andequally aiected, means for subA stantially permanently maintaining theconnection'betwe'en said operating element and one of the counters.

2. In' a voting machine, the combination, of a pair of associatedcounters, .a permanent operating means for 'said counters, and meanspermitting the r ady dissociation of only one of said counters from saidoperat. ing means. A

1n a voting machine. the combination, of a suitable supportingrstructure, a counte`roperatinlgshaft journaled therein. a pair ofindependent counters both mounted on .said Shaft, one of said countersbeinfay so .con-V nected with said shaft 'as to be readily dissociatedfrom `the same.

4:. In a voting machine. me combination, of a suitable supportingstructure. a counteroperating shaft journaled therein. a pair ofindependent counters both mounted on said shaft, one of said ,countersbeing so connected with said shaft as to be readily dissociated from thesame, a head carried -by said shaft a'nd'provided with a'radial slot, anactuating link ha ving a pin entering' said slot, and a cam structurecooperating with said pin and comprising:` stationary cani members, acoperating` rocking cam-,mem-

ber.I and means for yieldinglj holding 'said` rocking cam member in oneposition'.

5. counter, a head carried by said shaft and provided with a radialslot? an actuating link having a pin entering and slet, and l 9'0 fr'counter, a shaft for operating the ,t

cam structure cooperating with said pin and ""9t comprising,r staticnary'cani members, a cooperating' rocking can] member, and means foryieldinglv holdingsaid rocking Vcan; l

member in one position.

In witness whereof. l' have hereunto set my hand and seal atIndianapolis, Indiana, this seventeenth day of July, one

thousand nine hundred and seven.

*CHRIST CHRISTENSEN.. fr. a] Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. Hoon, THOMAS '1l'. MOMI-:Ass

